He knows no other way but ugliness, Sir Topher said quietly. He was taught no other lessons but those of force. His teachers have been scum who live by their own rules. No one has ever taught him otherwise. Am I to forgive? she said, her voice shaking with anger. No, he said sadly. Pity him. Or give him new rules. Or put him down like a wild animal before he becomes a monster who destroys everything he encounters.

Finnikin of the Rock (ed. Candlewick Press, 2010) - ISBN: 9780763651756